Longitudinal relations between interpartner aggression and internalizing symptoms among couples: The moderating role of sleep.

Recipients of interpartner aggression often experience internalizing symptoms. However, individual differences exist, and elucidation of factors that attenuate or exacerbate risk are needed to explicate relations and better inform interventions aimed at reducing mental health sequelae of interpartner aggression. Sleep problems compromise coping abilities and are known to exacerbate risk for mental health problems in the context of family risk. We examined whether sleep problems moderated the extent to which the recipients of interpartner aggression experience internalizing symptoms over time. At the first wave, 194 couples participated (M age [women] = 41.81 years, SD = 5.85; M age [men] = 43.75 years, SD = 6.74; 71% White/European American, 26% Black/African American, 3% other race/ethnicity). Two years later, couples returned for a second wave. Psychological and physical forms of interpartner aggression were measured using self- and partner-reports. Sleep duration (minutes) and sleep quality (efficiency) were derived using actigraphy, and subjective sleep/wake problems were also assessed. Individuals self-reported on their own internalizing symptoms. After controlling for autoregressive effects, sleep moderated the extent to which the recipients of interpartner aggression experienced internalizing symptoms longitudinally. Lower sleep efficiency and more subjective sleep/wake problems among women exacerbated the extent to which interpartner aggression forecasted their internalizing symptoms. Lower sleep efficiency among men magnified relations between interpartner aggression and their internalizing symptoms. Findings help understand the multiplicative influence that family risk and sleep problems have on mental health over time.

Adolescents' sleep and adjustment: Reciprocal effects.

Reciprocal relations between sleep and adjustment were investigated. Participants included 246 adolescents (M = 15.80 years; 67.5% White, 32.5% Black/African American; 53% female, 47% male) at Time 1 (data collected 2012-2013), 227 at Time 2 (M = 16.78 years) and 215 at Time 3 (M = 17.70 years). Sleep-wake variables were measured with self-reports (sleepiness) and actigraphy (average sleep minutes and efficiency, variability in sleep minutes and efficiency). Adolescents reported on depression and anxiety symptoms, and parents reported on externalizing problems. Greater variability in sleep duration and efficiency as well as sleepiness predicted adjustment problems (range of R2 : 36%-60%). Reciprocal relations were supported mostly for sleepiness (range of R2 : 16%-32%). Results help understand bidirectional relations between sleep and adjustment.

Reciprocal Relations Between Parental Problem Drinking and Children's Sleep: The Role of Socioeconomic Adversity.

Reciprocal relations between parental problem drinking (PPD) and children's sleep were examined longitudinally, and socioeconomic status was considered as a moderating variable. At Wave 1, 280 children (Mage  = 10.33) and their parent(s) participated, and 275 families returned 1 year later. At both waves, parent(s) reported on PD and children wore actigraphs that measured established sleep parameters. After controlling for autoregressive effects, fathers' PD predicted reduced sleep duration and efficiency in children over time. Supportive of reciprocal effects, more frequent long wake episodes predicted greater PPD. Fathers' PD was a more robust risk factor for lower than higher income children. Results build on a growing literature that has considered children's sleep in a family context.

Income, ethnicity, and sleep: coping as a moderator.

Toward identifying variables that may protect children against sleep problems otherwise associated with ethnic minority status and economic adversity, support coping was examined as a moderator. Participants were 235 children (113 boys, 122 girls; M age = 11.33 years, SD = 8.03 months), 64% European American and 36% African American. Children's sleep duration (minutes) and continuity (efficiency) were assessed through actigraphs worn for 1 week. Mothers reported on the family's monetary resources (income-to-needs ratio) and children reported on their support coping strategies. For children from lower income homes and African Americans, a higher level of support coping was a protective factor against fewer sleep minutes and reduced sleep efficiency, otherwise associated with economic adversity. Children from more economically advantaged homes had good sleep parameters regardless of their coping. The results build on the existing small body of work by demonstrating that children's support coping strategies have a protective role against sleep problems otherwise associated with ethnic minority status and economic adversity and present potential targets for intervention that may help reduce health disparities in an important health domain.

Exposure to parental interpartner conflict in adolescence predicts sleep problems in emerging adulthood.

OBJECTIVES: Parental interpartner conflict is a highly prevalent form of family risk that is stressful for adolescents with ramifications for their sleep. Multiple studies have demonstrated that adolescents from high-conflict homes are at risk for sleep problems. Building on this literature, we conducted novel analyses and investigated whether exposure to interpartner conflict in adolescence predicts sleep problems in the subsequent developmental period of emerging adulthood. METHODS: We used a rigorous four-wave design spanning 8years (collected between 2012-2020). At wave 1, participants were 245 adolescents from diverse backgrounds (M age=15.74years; 67% White/European American, 33% Black/African American; 52% girls). Individuals participated again in their adolescence at wave 2 (M age=16.77) and wave 3 (M age=17.69). Participants returned for wave 4 in emerging adulthood (M age=22.97). Adolescents reported on their parents' interpartner conflict (intense and frequent conflict). Sleep duration (minutes) and quality (efficiency, long wake episodes) were measured using actigraphy. RESULTS: After controlling for autoregressive effects and several covariates, findings from a structural equation model revealed that greater exposure to parental interpartner conflict in adolescence predicted reduced sleep efficiency and more long wake episodes in emerging adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Results build on the literature to consider sleep in the family context and are among the first to illustrate that exposure to parental interpartner conflict in adolescence predicts sleep problems in emerging adulthood. Continued investigations into the antecedents of sleep problems in emerging adulthood may benefit from considering past exposure to family risk.

CD8+ lymphocytes are critical for early control of tuberculosis in macaques.

The functional role of CD8+ lymphocytes in tuberculosis remains poorly understood. We depleted innate and/or adaptive CD8+ lymphocytes in macaques and showed that loss of all CD8α+ cells (using anti-CD8α antibody) significantly impaired early control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, leading to increased granulomas, lung inflammation, and bacterial burden. Analysis of barcoded Mtb from infected macaques demonstrated that depletion of all CD8+ lymphocytes allowed increased establishment of Mtb in lungs and dissemination within lungs and to lymph nodes, while depletion of only adaptive CD8+ T cells (with anti-CD8ß antibody) worsened bacterial control in lymph nodes. Flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing revealed polyfunctional cytotoxic CD8+ lymphocytes in control granulomas, while CD8-depleted animals were unexpectedly enriched in CD4 and γδ T cells adopting incomplete cytotoxic signatures. Ligand-receptor analyses identified IL-15 signaling in granulomas as a driver of cytotoxic T cells. These data support that CD8+ lymphocytes are required for early protection against Mtb and suggest polyfunctional cytotoxic responses as a vaccine target.

Parental depressive symptoms and children's sleep: the role of family conflict.

BACKGROUND: We used a multi-method and multi-informant design to identify developmental pathways through which parental depressive symptoms contribute to children's sleep problems. Environmental factors including adult inter-partner conflict and parent-child conflict were considered as process variables of this relation. METHODS: An ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of children (n = 268) participated (M age = 9.44 years, SD = 8.61 months). Children wore actigraphs for 7 consecutive nights and also reported on their sleep problems. RESULTS: Higher levels of maternal depressive symptoms were associated with children's sleep/wake problems. Higher levels of paternal depressive symptoms were associated with shorter time in bed and fewer sleep minutes. Inter-partner conflict and parent-child conflict were mechanisms of effects in the associations between maternal depressive symptoms and children's actigraphy-based and self-reported sleep problems. CONCLUSIONS: Findings build on this scant literature and highlight the importance of identifying pathways of risk and familial and environmental influences on children's sleep problems.

The Buffering Role of Community Self-Efficacy in the Links between Family Economic Stress and Young Adults' Prosocial Behaviors and Civic Engagement.

The goal of the current study was to examine the predictive role of economic stress and community self-efficacy on prosocial behaviors toward friends and strangers, and civic engagement. In addition, we considered the multiplicative effects of economic stress and community self-efficacy on these distinct types of prosocial behaviors (different targets of prosocial behaviors). The sample consisted of 202 young adults (M age = 20.94 years; 76.5% women; 67.5% reported identifying as racially White; 7.7% Black; 5.7% Asian; 5.5% Native; 13.6% other and included groups such as Mestizo, mixed race, and Mexican) who reported on their economic stress, community self-efficacy, and tendencies to engage in prosocial behaviors toward friends and strangers as well as civic engagement. The results demonstrated that economic stress was not directly associated with prosocial behaviors or civic engagement. Community self-efficacy was positively associated with civic engagement and prosocial behaviors toward both friends and strangers. The interaction term was positively associated with prosocial behaviors toward friends. Discussion focuses on the critical role of community self-efficacy as a buffer against stress and as a predictor of multiple forms of prosocial behaviors.

Longitudinal relations between parents' sleep problems and harsh parenting.

Toward better understanding the determinants of harsh parenting, the present study assessed prospective associations between mothers' and fathers' sleep problems and their harsh parenting toward their child using two waves of data. Children's gender was examined as a moderator of these associations. At the first wave, 257 families participated. Mean age was 36.15 years (SD = 5.70 years) for mothers, 39.78 years (SD = 7.54 years) for fathers, and 10.41 years (SD = 7.85 months) for children. The sample was diverse in terms of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status with approximately 68% identifying as White/European American and 29% identifying as Black/African American. After approximately 1 year, families participated in a second study wave. Parents' sleep was assessed using actigraphy (sleep minutes, sleep efficiency, and long wake episodes) and mothers and fathers reported on the occurrence of their psychological and physical forms of harsh parenting toward their child. After controlling for autoregressive effects, fewer sleep minutes, reduced sleep efficiency, and more frequent long wake episodes among fathers predicted greater harsh parenting among fathers 1 year later. Child gender moderated some of these associations such that relations between fathers' poorer-quality sleep and higher levels of harsh parenting were more pronounced for boys. Sleep problems among mothers did not predict mothers' harsh parenting over time. Findings build on a growing literature that has considered sleep in the family context and provide novel insight into the influence of parents' sleep on their parenting practices. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Alcohol Use Cravings as a Mediator Between Associated Risk Factors on Increased Alcohol Use among Youth Adults in New York During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The sudden increase in alcohol use in the young adult population during the COVID-19 pandemic may be partially explained by social isolation and stress due to restricted stay-at-home orders. The goal of this study was to assess specific psychological factors (e.g., anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep disturbances, and alcohol cravings) and COVID-19 diagnoses and their association with increased alcohol use and misuse during the COVID-19 pandemic among New York residents 18-35 years of age. Survey data were collected via Qualtrics between July 2020-October 2020. Path analyses tests were employed to test alcohol use cravings as a mediator. Among the total sample (N=575), mean age was 27.94±4.12; a majority were White non-Hispanic (66%), female (55%) and had completed a 4-year college or university degree (n = 249; 43.5%). Results revealed that alcohol use cravings was a significant mediator between sleep disturbances, having a COVID-19 diagnoses, and having mental health symptoms on increased alcohol use. Our findings underscore the importance of providing alcohol use prevention and treatment resources in this unprecedented COVID-19 era. Policymakers, public health professionals, and clinicians have a significant role in curbing the COVID-19-induced substance use epidemic.

IPRStats: visualization of the functional potential of an InterProScan run.

BACKGROUND: InterPro is a collection of protein signatures for the classification and automated annotation of proteins. Interproscan is a software tool that scans protein sequences against Interpro member databases using a variety of profile-based, hidden markov model and positional specific score matrix methods. It not only combines a set of analysis tools, but also performs data look-up from various sources, as well as some redundancy removal. Interproscan is robust and scalable, able to perform on any machine from a netbook to a large cluster. However, when performing whole-genome or metagenome analysis, there is a need for a fast statistical visualization of the results to have good initial grasp on the functional potential of the sequences in the analyzed data set. This is especially important when analyzing and comparing metagenomic or metaproteomic data-sets. RESULTS: IPRStats is a tool for the visualization of Interproscan results. Interproscan results are parsed from the Interproscan XML or EBIXML file into an SQLite or MySQL database. The results for each signature database scan are read and displayed as pie-charts or bar charts as summary statistics. A table is also provided, where each entry is a signature (e.g. a Pfam entry) accompanied by one or more Gene Ontology terms, if Interproscan was run using the Gene Ontology option. CONCLUSIONS: We present an platform-independent, open source licensed tool that is useful for Interproscan users who wish to view the summary of their results in a rapid and concise fashion.

Maternal psychological control and child internalizing symptoms: vulnerability and protective factors across bioregulatory and ecological domains.

BACKGROUND: We examined ecological (family socioeconomic status (SES)) and bioregulatory (sleep duration, sleep efficiency) moderators of the link between maternal psychological control and children's vulnerability to internalizing symptoms. METHOD: A large socioeconomically diverse sample of third graders (N = 141) and their mothers participated. Sleep was examined via actigraphy for one week. Psychological control and internalizing symptoms (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, pre-sleep arousal) were examined through children's reports. RESULTS: For children with poorer sleep, lower SES, or a combination of the two, maternal psychological control was positively related to depressive symptoms; this association was not evident for children with both better sleep and higher SES. Further, maternal psychological control, sleep efficiency, and SES interacted to predict both anxiety symptoms and pre-sleep arousal. Children were protected from the negative effects of psychological control when they were from higher SES families and had higher sleep efficiency; for all other groups of children, psychological control was associated with anxiety symptoms. A similar but less robust pattern of results was found for pre-sleep arousal. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the importance of children's bioregulatory processes within the socioeconomic context for an enhanced understanding of children's vulnerability to internalizing problems in the context of maternal psychological control.

Children's sleep and adjustment over time: the role of socioeconomic context.

Relations were examined between children's sleep and their externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Longitudinal relations were examined when children were in 3rd (T1) and 5th (T2) grades, and cross-sectional relations were assessed at T2. Participants included 176 children at T1 (M = 8.68 years) and 141 children at T2 (M = 10.70 years). Sleep was examined via subjective reports and actigraphy. Children reported on anxiety, self-esteem, and depression symptoms, and parents reported on children's externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Cross-sectionally and longitudinally, sleep problems were associated with worse adjustment outcomes; African American children or those from lower socioeconomic status homes were at particular risk. Findings highlight the importance of adequate sleep for children's optimal development, especially in the context of ecological risk.

Concurrent and longitudinal relations between children's sleep and cognitive functioning: the moderating role of parent education.

Relations between children's sleep and cognitive functioning were examined over 2 years, and race and socioeconomic status were assessed as moderators of effects. Third-grade African American and European American children (N = 166; M = 8.72 years) participated at Time 1 and again 2 years later (N = 132). At both Time 1 and Time 2, sleep was examined via self-report and actigraphy. Children were administered selected tests from the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities, and Stanford Achievement Test scores were obtained from schools. Children's sleep was related to intellectual ability and academic achievement. Results build substantially on an emerging literature supportive of the importance of sleep in children.

Interactions between sleep duration and quality as predictors of adolescents' adjustment.

OBJECTIVES: We examined interactions between adolescents' sleep duration and quality as predictors of their internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors. As a secondary aim, we assessed adolescent sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES) as additional moderators of risk (ie, 3-way interactions among sleep duration; quality; and sex, race, or SES). DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional design. SETTING: Participants were from small towns and semirural communities in Alabama. PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 235 adolescents (Mage = 15.78 years, SD = 9.60 months) and was diverse with respect to sex (54% female), race/ethnicity (32% Black/African American, 67% White), and SES. MEASUREMENTS: Sleep duration (actual sleep minutes) was examined with actigraphs for 1 week. Adolescents reported on their subjective sleep quality, internalizing symptoms, and externalizing behavior with psychometrically sound measures. RESULTS: Findings revealed interactions between sleep duration and sleep quality as predictors of adolescents' adjustment. Adolescents with both short sleep duration in conjunction with poor sleep quality had the highest levels of internalizing symptoms and aggressive and rule-breaking behavior. SES interacted with sleep duration and sleep quality to predict rule-breaking behavior, and the highest level of problems was observed for adolescents from lower-SES homes who had short sleep duration accompanied by poor sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS: Findings identify the conjoint role of sleep duration and quality as predictors of adolescents' socioemotional adjustment and emphasize the importance of examining multiple sleep parameters simultaneously toward a better understanding of adaptation in adolescence.

What does a good night's sleep mean? Nonlinear relations between sleep and children's cognitive functioning and mental health.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: We attempted to identify the duration and quality of sleep associated with the optimal child outcomes in key developmental domains including cognitive functioning, academic performance, and mental health. In doing so, we examined nonlinear associations between the sleep and developmental variables. Based on racial/ethnic disparities in children's sleep, we assessed this variable as a moderator of examined relations. METHODS: Two hundred eighty-two children participated (Mage = 9.4 years, SD = .72; 52% boys; 65% white/European American, 35% black/African American). Sleep was examined with actigraphy for seven consecutive nights and with self-reports. Actigraphy-based sleep duration (minutes) and quality (efficiency), as well as self-reported sleep quality were derived. Children reported on their mental health and were administered cognitive performance tests. Mothers and teachers reported on children's mental health; teachers also reported on academic functioning. Schools provided academic achievement data. RESULTS: Sleep duration had an accelerating nonlinear negative association with externalizing behaviors. Nonlinear associations were also detected between both actigraphy-derived and subjective reports of sleep quality and multiple developmental domains including academic functioning and mental health and the best functioning corresponded with the highest levels of sleep quality. Emphasizing the importance of individual differences, several examined associations were moderated by race/ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep duration and quality emerged as nonlinear predictors of multiple domains of child development. Findings illustrate that the benefits of longer and better-quality sleep did not taper off and that assessments of nonlinear relations may enhance understanding of the nature of associations between sleep and child functioning.

Maternal immunization increases nestling energy expenditure, immune function, and fledging success in a passerine bird.

Female birds transfer maternally derived antibodies (matAb) to their nestlings, via the egg yolk. These antibodies are thought to provide passive protection, and allow nestlings to avoid the costs associated with mounting an innate immune response. To test whether there is an energetic benefit to nestlings from receiving matAb, we challenged adult female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) prior to clutch initiation with either lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or saline (Control). Following hatching, one half of each female's nestlings were immunized on day 8 post-hatch with LPS or saline, and the 4-h post-immunization nestling metabolic rate (MR) was measured. There was no difference in either LPS-reactive antibodies or total Ig levels between offspring of immunized and non-immunized mothers on day 6 or 14 post-hatch, possibly reflecting a relatively short half-life of matAbs in altricial birds. Additionally, we found no evidence that nestlings from LPS-immunized mothers could avoid the growth suppression that may result from activation of an inflammatory response. Unexpectedly, we found that control nestlings from LPS mothers had higher resting MR than control nestlings of control mothers. We attribute the increased MR to the costs associated with a general non-specific enhancement of immune function in nestlings from LPS-immunized mothers. Consistent with enhanced immune function, nestlings of immunized mothers had a more robust inflammatory response to phytohaemagglutinin and higher fledging success. Our results suggest that maternal antigen exposure pre-laying can result in increased fitness for both mothers and offspring, depending on food availability.

Family Functioning and Children's Sleep.

Sleep is a pivotal correlate and predictor of many domains of child development, including socioemotional adjustment, physical health, and cognitive functioning. The family plays a major role in shaping children's sleep-wake behaviors, and developmental research on children's sleep in a family context is on the rise. As in any relatively young field, many gaps and questions remain. In this article, we aim to advance this literature by illustrating ways to examine the interconnections between family functioning and children's sleep. We also call for increasing conceptual developments and testing of transactional models, using well-established and psychometrically sound objective and subjective measures, and expanding both the family functioning domains and sleep parameters assessed.

Relationships between analytical methods utilized as tools in the evaluation of landfill waste stability.

In this study, the refuse from 12 landfills of various ages ranging from fresh refuse to material 11 years old was collected, and changes in the bio-stability parameters were determined. The parameters measured included cellulose, lignin, biochemical methane potential (BMP) and volatile solids, along with plastics. These parameters, along with the cellulose to lignin ratio were compared to determine which were most indicative of the bio-stability of the refuse. Lignin and volatile solids measurements were affected by plastics in refuse samples. Plastics increased both lignin and volatile solids measurements by approximately 10%. Cellulose and volatile solids measurements correlated well with age, each other, and with BMP measurements and were therefore considered the best parameters to determine stability. Data for the Riverbend landfill, a landfill with a moisture content of 48%, which is similar to that of bioreactor landfills, showed that degradation was nearly complete after 5 years as indicated by low values for cellulose and BMP.

Parental problem drinking and children's sleep: The role of ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

We examined relations between mothers' and fathers' problem drinking and school-age children's sleep. Consistent with a health disparities perspective, children's ethnicity and socioeconomic status were examined as moderators of relations between parental problem drinking and children's sleep. Participants were 282 children (M age = 9.44 years) and their parents. Children were from diverse ethnic (65% White, 35% Black) and socioeconomic backgrounds. Using a multi-informant design, parents reported on their own problem drinking and children's sleep was assessed with actigraphs over 7 nights. After controlling for several influential covariates, moderation findings indicated that associations between heightened levels of parental problem drinking (predominately fathers') and children's shorter sleep duration, reduced sleep efficiency, and greater long wake episodes were most evident for Black children and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Findings are among the first to establish relations between parental problem drinking and children's sleep and indicate that not all children are at equal risk for sleep disturbances in such home environments. Results add to a growing literature that has examined children's sleep within the family context and highlight the importance of considering the broader sociocultural milieu. (PsycINFO Database Record